Breath
by stargazing.bookworm95
Summary: Song-fic I wrote a couple of months ago featuring Kiba and an OC. Oneshot. Song - Breath by Breaking Benjamin. PS She is NOT the Najika from Kitchen Princess!


Najika ran blindly through the forest, barely feeling the branches that slapped at her arms and legs. The pain her body was feeling was nothing to the pain in her mind.

Everything had gone wrong that day: Kurenai had driven her really hard during practice and her jutsus had gotten worse and worse. "You're not even fit to be in the academy!" Najika shivered as the words ran through her mind again. At least she was training alone, not with a squad. The humiliation could've been worse.

Kurenai had finally left her in the practice field at sundown, her ruby eyes burning with anger and disappointment, Najika had knelt

alone, alone as the shadows grew longer and longer, before running away into the woods.

Why didn't anyone understand her? Couldn't they see the hurt in her eyes, hurt that came every single day from the moment she woke up? A tear slid down her cheek as another image replaced Kurenai's – a village burning, fire leaping toward the air like a herd of crazed animals. Screams and yells hurt her ears. But worst of all was the heat, singing her hair and stinging her eyes. She thought she heard her mother screaming too, far in the distance...

Najika reached a large tree with think sprawling branches that stretched high above the forest. Without breaking stride, she leaped towards the lower branches and gracefully pulled herself upward. She kept climbing higher and higher till she could see the sky clearly, and stopped at a branch with a kunai knife in it. She gently leaned back against the tree's broad trunk and shut her eyes. The leaves seemed to whisper as the wind blew. _Fire fire fire fire..._ she shuddered and pulled out her MP3 player. She had to shut out the noise. Guitars and drums pounded through her ear phones and she relaxed.

_I see nothing in your eyes_

_And the more the see, the less I like_

_Is it over yet? In my head_

_I know nothing of your kind_

_And I won't reveal your evil mind_

_Is it over yet? I can't wait_

_So sacrifice yourself and let me have what's left_

_I know that I can find the fire in your eyes _

_I'm going all the way, get away please..._

_You take the breath right out of me_

Above the music, Najika heard rustling sounds below her. Someone else was climbing the tree, too fast for her to get away.

_You left a hole where my heart should be..._

Najika stiffened as the sounds grew closer. She felt her heart start to beat faster, and she began to tremble.

_You've got to fight just to make it through..._

There were two people coming, she could make that out. Who were they? Were they looking for her?

_Cause I will be the death of you_

"Woof!" A small white furry thing leaped into her lap. "Akamaru!" Najika gasped. "What about me?" asked a voice above her. Kiba dropped down on the branch, a grin plastered all over his face. "What do you want?" Najika growled. Kiba wasn't very high on the list of people she wanted to talk to right now. But Akamaru was okay.

"Nothing," Kiba shrugged, leaping over to sit next to her. "Just saw you running into the forest at breakneck speed and thought you were on the trail of something. So I just decided to follow." "Whatever," Najika responded, scratching Akamaru's ears.

_This will be all over soon_

_Pour the salt into the open wounds_

_Is it over yet? Let me add_

"Which song are you listening to?" Kiba yanked one of the ear phones away from her. "Ow!" Najika said. "Sorry, sorry," Kiba muttered, putting on the ear phone. His grin faded slightly as he listened to the song.

_So sacrifice yourself and let me have what's left_

_I know that I can find the fire in your eyes _

_I'm going all the way, get away please..._

"I like Breaking Benjamin too," Kiba said softly. Najika gave a little smile. "So do I. This is one of my favourites."

_You take the breath right out of me_

_You left a hole where my heart should be..._

_You've got to fight just to make it through..._

_Cause I will be the death of you_

Kiba's voice broke through the guitar riff. "Kurenai seemed pretty impressed with you today." "Stop joking," Najika murmured. "I sucked today, stop making it worse." Tears began to seep out her eyes and cling to her eyelashes. Kiba sighd. "No! I'm serious, I heard her telling Kakashi that you'd barely unlocked your potential and you were capable of a lot more!" "Why are you telling me this?" Najika fixed him with the steeliest look she could muster. Kiba lowered his eyes. "Because, you're so sad and I don't want to see you like this." Najika jumped as she felt his hand gently grasp hers but she didn't pull away.

_I'm waiting, I'm praying, realize, start hating_

A single tear trickled don her cheek. "Don't cry," Kiba whispered, and brushed the tear away. Akamaru whimpered and licked her cheek. Then, unconsciously, Najika began to sing.

"_You take the breath right out of me,_"

Kiba's voice joined hers.

"_You left a hole where my heart should be..._

_You've got to fight just to make it through..._

_Cause I will be the death of you."_

Najika smiled blissfully. Everything was right again. "Thanks," she whispered and kissed Kiba's cheek. He blushed and grinned sheepishly. "Thank _you_," he murmured, and held her hand tighter.

Akamaru jumped back and regarded them, lost in each other. Then he settled between the two of them and barked softly. Maybe three was company.


End file.
